294 Boxes and One Big Question

I recently found myself retiring—again.If you ask my kids, they’ll tell you that “retirement” has been a bit of a moving target over the years.

But this time, it felt a little more real.

In preparing to wind things down, I hired movers to take down all the plaques, awards, and framed memories from my office—a space where a lot of life had happened.

Heroes Unleashed was born in that office. Big deals were made. Lifelong friendships started. And plenty of memories I wouldn’t trade for anything.

I stood there watching them pack it all—294 boxes in total. And I’ll admit, there was a bit of a lump in my throat as they closed up the last one.

At one point, that wall mattered to me a great deal. I remember sitting in that office, wearing a watch I was quite proud of, hoping the person across from me would notice all I’d done. That they’d be impressed.

But somewhere along the way, that need for validation faded.

Then, just like that, it was all loaded into a shed.

Out of sight.

Standing there in an empty office, I was confronted with two questions:

What do I do with all this stuff?

(Literally. The movers were fantastic—meticulous, careful—not a thing was broken. They also didn’t label a single box. We have a box-opening party scheduled this summer to address that one.)

And more importantly—what do I want to be remembered for?

I can’t tell you what year I won half those awards—or what I even said when I accepted them. But I do remember the families who come up to me at the grocery store or out around town—“Hey, my son played in Quikcard Hockey Week,” or “My sister was in the tournament.”

That’s the stuff that sticks.

When we first put the Quikcard name on Edmonton Minor Hockey Week - many many years ago, it wasn’t about advertising. In fact, most of the kids and parents didn’t even realize who was sponsoring it. That was the point.

We wanted to make sure more kids had the opportunity to play—regardless of financial barriers.

I also remember one of the young women in my company whose daughter became pregnant. She was struggling. We promptly began supporting a local charity for teen moms. Quietly, we found a way to get her connected to the support she needed.

We didn’t do it for a press release. We did it because it was the right thing to do.

And truthfully, I feel lucky—I grew up with that mindset.

I was raised in a funeral home. From a very young age, I saw what compassion looks like when it matters most. You’re sitting with people on one of the hardest days of their lives. You learn to listen. You learn to care. You learn that sometimes the smallest gesture will stay with someone forever. (We can dig into that story another time.)

The point is—giving back was never about appearances for me. It was about how you make people feel. And once you feel what it’s like to truly help someone, it changes you.

Matt Devine, co-founder of Heroes Unleashed, would say it satisfies the basic human need to contribute. And he’s right. But for me, giving back went even further.

As it became part of our company culture, I saw the difference it made—not just in the community, but inside the business.People showed up differently. They took more pride in their work. They looked out for one another.

The more we gave, the more successful the company became—not because we were chasing a return, but because we were building something people believed in.

At the height of my career, yes—I fell in love with cars. (Not to say I’ve given up all my vices—cars are still one of them.)

But I know no one will remember me for the cars, the watches, or any of that stuff. Nor do I want them to.

I hope that if I’m remembered for anything, it’s for the programs that helped kids get on the ice, for the families we supported through tough times, and for the businesses I helped build that served something bigger than profit.

That’s why I co-founded Heroes Unleashed—to keep building on that principle. As I often say, my mission now is simple: to change the way leaders and business owners see their business—not just as a product or service, but as a powerful engine to give back.

That’s what matters to me now.

And if you’re reading this, I hope you’ll take a moment to ask yourself:

What boxes do you want to open one day?

What stories do you want them to tell? Corporate Consulting At Heroes Unleashed, every dollar we earn helps fuel impact—not just for our clients, but for the communities we serve.

A portion of all revenue directly supports charitable organizations like Homes For Heroes. The rest goes into building tools, content, and experiences that help individuals and organizations thrive.